Keith neighbors voice frustration

Saturday

Jan 31, 2009 at 12:01 AM

NEW BEDFORD — Some property owners — including the congregation of a church — in the Hathaway Boulevard-Parker Street area where toxic waste contamination has been found are running out of patience as to how and when the city will tell them what the future holds for their properties.

Joe Cohen

NEW BEDFORD — Some property owners — including the congregation of a church — in the Hathaway Boulevard-Parker Street area where toxic waste contamination has been found are running out of patience as to how and when the city will tell them what the future holds for their properties.

At a meeting Thursday evening conducted by city officials overseeing the environmental testing and remediation of Keith Middle School, New Bedford High School, Paul Walsh Athletic Field and surrounding properties, the pastor of the Evangelical Pentecostal Church at 129 Hathaway Blvd. and two homeowners expressed concerns about what they have been told and what lies ahead.

The city is performing extensive environmental cleanup at the schools and athletic facility. It also has taken ownership of six houses on Greenwood and Ruggles streets, where city officials and its consultant TRC determined it would be less costly to buy the homes and tear them down than to try to remediate the sites with the houses standing.

Scott Alfonse, director of the city's Department of Environmental Stewardship, said about 80 people attended the meeting at Keith Middle School; he estimated about three-quarters were affiliated with the church.

Among others in attendance were Ward 3 City Councilor Kathy M. Dehner and School Committee members John J. Fletcher, Jill Ussach and Tom Clark. Also in attendance were members of Wasted Away, an environmental organization that has led the efforts to bring attention to the toxic waste problems stemming from a former burn dump used by city companies decades ago.

Mr. Alfonse said he recognized that the church and homeowners have a growing level of frustration about not being given complete information as to whether the city will remediate their properties or even take ownership of them.

"We are not in a position to make a decision," Mr. Alfonse said in an interview Friday. "We are working as quickly as possible to gather all information that will lead to a decision on the private properties."

At the meeting, Mr. Alfonse and TRC reported that testing at the schools is continuing and there are indications of continued improvement from the remediation efforts. Work also is progressing on Paul Walsh Field, where surface cleanup is largely completed. The city is assessing what might need to be done below the field's surface, with that assessment going on along with consideration of what remediation work might be needed in the future.

Efforts also are under way to determine where PCBs found behind Keith Middle School might be coming from.

Mr. Alfonse said the public information meetings regarding Keith Middle School and the surrounding area intended to brief the public on the ongoing investigation and remediation planning efforts for the Parker Street/Hathaway Boulevard site will be conducted quarterly going forward. The next meeting is tentatively planned for April.